The nine-time Wimbledon champion and gay rights activist, Martina Navratilova has been highly criticised. Rules in some sports that allowed transgender women to compete in women’s tournaments were “insane”, and that she would not want to play against a trans athlete. Martina Navratilova Transgender Athletes Right To Compete “Clearly that can’t be right. You can’t just

Rules in some sports that allowed transgender women to compete in women’s tournaments were “insane”, and that she would not want to play against a trans athlete.

Martina Navratilova

Transgender Athletes Right To Compete

“Clearly that can’t be right. You can’t just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women. There must be some standards, and having a penis and competing as a woman would not fit that standard.”

Hence, sparking the debate further by saying that for her it’s all about fairness.

Nine-Time Wimbledon champion went on to say that there is no cookie cutter way of doing things.

Image courtesy – independent.co.uk

Her comments were rightly seized upon by Dr Rachel McKinnon, a transgender activist and competitive cyclist who this year controversially won a women’s event at the UCI Masters Track World Championship.

Rachel McKinnon quickly hit back and called the comments “disturbing, upsetting and deeply transphobic”.

No, you are not "pro- trans people" if you say that trans women with a penis must not compete in women's sport. That's transphobic.

Genitals do not play sports. What part of a penis is related to tennis? How does that 'level' any playing field? https://t.co/h7ZLsCVOQy

They said in a recent statement that “Martina Navratilova’s recent comments on trans athletes are transphobic, based on a false understanding of science and data, and perpetuate dangerous myths that lead to the ongoing targeting of trans people through discriminatory laws, hateful stereotypes and disproportionate violence.”

Navratilova’s recent comments are transphobic, based on a false data, and perpetuate dangerous myths that lead to the ongoing targeting of trans people. She has been removed from our Advisory Board and as an Athlete Ally Ambassador, effective immediately. https://t.co/A1taa40ihv

Initially, Navratilova said: “I am sorry if I said anything anywhere near transphobic, certainly I meant no harm. I will educate myself better on this issue but meantime I will be quiet about it.” She also deleted the original tweet.